1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for processing an informational signal. More specifically, it relates to an apparatus and a medium for processing an informational signal, a processing board for processing an informational signal, an informational-signal-processing system, a program product and a recording medium for recording the program, which are well applicable to, for example, an image-signal-processing system etc. for performing a series of processing procedures such as format conversion and noise cancellation on an image signal and outputting a processing result.
2. Description of Related Art
In an image-signal-processing system for performing a series of processing procedures such as the format conversion and the noise cancellation on an image signal and outputting the processing result, it has been conventionally considered to implement this series of processing procedures by using plural processing boards. In this case, for example, when a format in which the image signals are input or output is changed or another processing board is added, an order in which the image signals are processed changes, so that it is necessary to replace the board or change wiring between the boards.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-1798211 discloses communication of data between the boards by radio, thereby eliminating restrictions on signals flowing between the boards, and avoiding a troublesome job such as replacement of these boards and changing of inter-board wiring.
In the image-signal-processing system disclosed in the above publication, a controller is used. The controller recognizes plural processing boards installed therein and sets a processing order of image signals based on a table stored in a built-in memory. Thus, the image-signal-processing system disclosed in the publication has such the controller in addition to the processing boards so that its circuit scale is enlarged by the amount thereof. Further, in the image-signal-processing system, a communication between the controller and each processing board is executed when setting a processing order of image signals. This causes communication control to be complicated.
It is an object of the invention to improve the existing apparatus for processing informational signal, and the like by which, when input or output format of the informational signal is changed in, for example, the image-signal-processing system using plural processing boards or an processing board is added thereinto, it is possible to easily perform setting of processing order of informational signals without using a controller performing any complicated communication control such that the controller can control each processing board.